The Astronaut (L'astronaute)

Engine environment ready for synchronized sequence.

Measurements acquisition confirmed.

Activate cooling system.

Starting burners.

Electrical activation.

Ready for synchronized sequence.

Prepare for final count down.

Ten, nine,

eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two,

one, ignition...

Ignition.

Pressure stabilized.

Switching to function points R1, R3.

Engine functioning stable.

Prepare for engine shutdown, three,

two, one, zero.

Well done, Jim.

This is Jim Desforges, our best propulsion engineer.

- Nice to meet you, Jim Desforges. - Nice to meet you.

Thanks, Mr. Dominique.

- Hi, Jim. - Evening, Christian.

- Congrats on the test. - Thanks.

Know Alexandre Ribbot?

Sure...

Why?

There's an article about him.

At an altitude of 2,000 meters former astronaut Alexandre Ribbot,

now lives, since leaving the European Space Agency.

"I always dreamt of being an astronaut. Lucky for me, my dream came true.

"Today, I am learning anew to live on the Earth.

"But first, I had to make a detour on high".

Let me see.

A narrow escape for French Astronaut, Alexandre Ribbot

who was on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station

for maintenance operations

when he was cut adrift after his safety cable broke.

He owes his life to the composure of US astronaut, Joan Webster,

who managed to grab hold of him and bring him back to the station.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mom.

The Alps, must be so beautiful.

Why the Alps?

I'm going to meet Alexandre Ribbot.

Who's he?

An astronaut.

Move on, my son.

For God's sake, move on.

You live with your grandmother, you're almost 40. Find that normal?

- "Normal", meaning what? - Let it go!

You have a good job, a good salary, good health.

One day you'll wake up having spent your life chasing the impossible.

- Only it'll be too late. - Gérard...

They've invested billions, for years

and you think you can do it alone?

Do I ask why you paint your kitchen red?

Do your thing, let me do mine.

ESA didn't want you. They chose Thomas Pesquet.

Just accept it.

- How is Odette? - In great form.

Say hello from me.

Meet your future rocket fuel. XB3!

- XB3? - Yep!

Has a ring to it, no? Come and see.

I mean... given the combustion intensity, the heat...

It's got the power, that's all that matters.

We continue as planned.

Going to see Alexandre Ribbot this weekend?

- Yes. - Want me to come with you?

No, I'd rather go alone.

Seems a bit of an oddball.

Living like a hermit in the mountains.

This is it!

Mr. Ribbot?

Jim Desforges.

Thank you for agreeing to meet me.

Always ready to talk about up there.

Here, take a look.

A bearded vulture. They can soar to 7,300 meters.

- So, tell me. - Thanks.

As I said in my e-mail, I'm developing a video game.

Now ARIANE is making video games?

It's a personal project.

I'd like your opinion, to make it as realistic as possible.

Basically, the key character wants to build a rocket,

launch it, place it in low orbit, do a spacewalk and return to Earth.

Like Leonov.

Right, only he has to do it using his own means

without the help of the infrastructures of NASA, Roscosmos or ESA.

Let me show you.

Here we go.

We presume that...

You can scroll with the arrows.

We presume that our character has the technical skills

and access to sophisticated equipment.

What fuel does it use?

XB3.

- What's that? - A solid propellant.

In fact, the character has a chemist friend

who has developed a revolutionary formula.

I have the specs here.

Your guy lives dangerously.

With that mix the rocket will likely blow up upon launching.

It's the only way to reduce the rocket size.

- Will the capsule be pressurized? - No.

Too complicated.

The character will wear a spacesuit with a pure oxygen feed.

Why is he doing this?

- Who? - Your character, why's he doing it?

Because he needs to.

He wants to save the Earth from an Alien invasion? Or intercept a bomb?

No, he just wants to see what it's like up there.

Like it?

Very much.

Why don't you come clean?

What do you mean?

There is no video game.

I'm retired, but I've still got friends at ESA.

And they checked your dossier.

In 2009, you sat the ESA recruitment exam

and came third out of 4,500 candidates.

Meaning you didn't make the grade.

So, what's the story?

After failing the selection I tried to forget.

And?

I couldn't.

I've been working on this rocket for eight years.

Alone?

A friend helps me and there's my gran.

So why'd you come here? To see me?

I read your interview in Paris Match, I felt I'd nothing to lose.

Maybe you could give me some advice, or even help me.

Your room is upstairs.

Good night.

Mr. Ribbot, I...

Good night.

- Sleep well? - Yes.

I read it.

Nice work.

Give or take a few details.

Meaning?

What if your rocket strikes a plane?

It won't.

I have a friend in air traffic control who'll flight update me on the day.

What about MD?

- What? - Missile Defense.

If an unknown vessel overflies the US, NATO, China or Russia

a missile is automatically fired.

Space is not open to all.

Even if we tell them the rocket is manned and friendly?

And how will you manage the launch?

I'll fire up from the capsule

and the computer program will handle the flight plan.

Wanting to take risks is one thing...

but imagining you can do it alone...

I'm no expert, but I think your trajectory calculations are off.

You need a mathematician...

to check everything and monitor the flight from the ground.

Got someone in mind?

- But Mr. Fernbach... - Don't insist, the marks are final.

You know I have the level.

That's not the point, you failed it, these things happen.

Now, Miss Sayako, if you'll excuse me I have an appointment.

- Hello. - Mr. Desforges, I presume?

- Thank you for seeing me. - My pleasure.

- Known Ribbot for long? - Not really.

- Of course, he wouldn't tell me anything. - The project is a bit special.

Well, let's take a look. Follow me.

It's a joke?

No.

I need someone like you to check the trajectories,

the programming, the flight plan.

Do you realize the risk you're taking?

Yes.

I like Alexandre, but there's a reason why he no longer works for ESA.

What do you mean?

You know his story?

Sure, why?

All I can say is, don't do it. 12-meter rockets don't exist.

A space launcher is 60 meters high.

And it certainly doesn't use a maverick fuel

which is about as stable as nitro-glycerine!

Which is what Ribbot should've told you.

Mr. Fernbach...

I know there are risks.

But just imagine... the first amateur manned space flight ever.

I do not want to be party to such a dangerous undertaking

which moreover, is strictly forbidden by law.

- Goodbye, Mr. Desforges. - Sir, listen...

Your life is at stake.

If you're crazy enough to risk it, that's your business.

I don't play Russian roulette.

Center! Left a bit, now right.

Back a bit!

Even SpaceX can't beat this!

Recaro Podium Carbon. Like it?

Great.

Come in!

- Jim, someone to see you at reception. - Who?